We have one remaining item on our agenda, which is the short debate. Today I call on Joyce Watson to speak to the topic she has chosen. I therefore call Joyce Watson to introduce the short debate.

Joyce, you need to unmute yourself or be unmuted before you start. That's it—carry on. Joyce Watson.

Diolch, Llywydd. The debate today is broadening the spectrum: adding blue to the green recovery, putting our seas at the heart of the green economy and post-COVID-19 social settlement. Huw Irranca, I have agreed to give a minute to.

Time and tide wait for no man or woman. We invoke the sea to describe the inevitable, and today we face three challenges that in their own way make social and economic change inevitable: coronavirus, Brexit and climate change. I want to talk about what these changes mean for Welsh waters and for the Wales national marine plan. We hear a lot about the green recovery and the green new deal, and that is fantastic, but I'm keen that, as we develop policies around those principles, we don't forget the blue, or our waters. As a peninsular nation, Wales is well placed to harness the power of our water and enjoy its benefits, as well as inherently invested in its health. As someone who represents the majority of our coastline, I'm always mindful of the fact that Wales's marine area is over a third larger than its land mass, and I'm sensitive to the view that our coastal towns and villages are not museum pieces or stage sets; they're living, working communities and the original stewards of our oceans. So, we need to broaden the spectrum, to add blue to the green recovery. Perhaps we could start calling it the 'teal new deal'.

This time last year—and it has been an even longer year in politics—the Minister published the national marine plan, which sets out the rules for sustainable use of our seas for the next 20 years. It's one of the most important documents that this Welsh Government has brought forward, and it wouldn't have happened without your determination, Minister, and I thank you for that.

David Melding took the Chair.

A year on would be a good time to review it in normal times, but given where we are with Brexit and the upheaval of the pandemic, and our resolve to rebuild a better future, it's imperative that we look again at marine policy and make sure that we achieve that blue-green recovery. 

More recently, the Welsh Government published its 'COVID-19 Reconstruction: Challenges and Priorities', which includes commitments to respond energetically to the climate emergency, decarbonisation, to manage our land for the benefit of rural communities both now and for the future, and to protect and enhance our natural resources. It sets out a vision of a Welsh economy geared towards renewable energy supplies from wind, water and solar power. The marine energy demonstration zones will be at the heart of that, driving the skills, businesses and technologies of the future, especially as the Welsh Government has rightly rejected any and all further extractions of fossil fuels, and the Minister has been resolute about that.

Looking ahead, Minister, you've also said that you intend to progress a comprehensive Welsh fisheries Bill, separate to the one now going through the UK Parliament. That will be business for the next Welsh Parliament, but I hope that it ensures that more fish caught in Welsh waters are landed in our ports and that smaller vessels, which make up 90 per cent of the Welsh fleet, are given a bigger share of the current quota. Managing the competing demands for space and use of our natural resources is always a delicate balancing act, and that is why the national marine plan was developed in the first place.

Coronavirus, the post-pandemic recovery and the Tory 'no deal' Brexit that is in danger of being realised add new weight to the scales. Ultimately, there can be no blue-green recovery if we do not recover the health of our waters. Right now, nearly 50 per cent of protected wildlife in our seas is in poor condition. So, I would support many of the policies that the Wales Environment Link has been calling for, like ensuring that at least 10 per cent of Welsh waters are fully protected by 2030. It should include work to protect our precious blue carbon, the seagrass, the saltmarsh and the seaweed, not least because restoring intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats will yield the greatest per-unit area of benefit in terms of increased carbon sequestration. It is our national shoreline forest, if you like, and we need many more projects like Morfa Friog in Gwynedd to protect and to enhance it.

Future marine policy must also recognise the interconnectedness of effective water management. We need a truly source-to-sea approach to river and marine management. I have raised on many occasions in the Chamber, virtual and otherwise, my concerns about pollution associated with intensive chicken farming in Powys and its impact on the health of the Wye. In Pembrokeshire, I understand that nine of the 15 marine special areas of conservation features are in an unfavourable condition and that agricultural run-off contributes to eight of those cases. So, we need tougher action on agricultural pollution and the Minister has spoken forcibly about doing just that last week. And, of course, we're all very much aware of the mounting problem of marine litter.

So, to sum up, a year on from the publication of the Welsh national marine plan, now more than ever we need to boost renewable energy generation, support jobs in our coastal communities and protect wildlife as part of an ambitious blue-green, post-Brexit, post-pandemic recovery. Thank you.

It's a pleasure to follow Joyce in this important debate in support of a blue-green recovery. I would argue strongly that we must have the data and analysis that underpins sustainable resource management, and that we should not only have marine protected areas, but some areas that are of a higher protected status and, crucially, that those MPAs are managed effectively. It's incredible now that we've got an area over nine times the size of Wales in marine protected areas around the UK, yet, around the UK, less than 1 per cent is considered by MCS scientists to be well managed. So, it's a bit like our seas—on the surface things look quite good, but below the surface we've got a lot more to do to turn MPAs on charts into MPAs in reality, and to enable that sustainable use of our marine resources in that marine planning framework. And, Minister, can I endorse the concept by the Marine Conservation Society and Wales Environment Link, and by Joyce here today, of blue carbon, where the protection and enrichment of vulnerable but valuable marine habitats can yield the greatest per-unit area benefit in terms of increased carbon sequestration? Let Wales lead a blue-green recovery.

The Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs to reply to the debate—Lesley Griffiths.

Thank you, acting Presiding Officer, and thank you, Joyce, for bringing forward this short debate about—and I quite like—that 'teal new deal', and to Huw Irranca-Davies also for his contribution. Whilst the Welsh Government continues to respond to the significant public health and economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, part of that response is also the need to think and plan ahead. The Welsh Government is committed to a green recovery and, of course, the coast and seas around Wales are an integral part of our history, economy and our way of life. They support an abundance of diverse species, habitats and ecosystems and contribute millions to our economy, supporting thousands of jobs, and contribute to the health and well-being of local communities. This is why the Welsh Government has put in place a system of marine planning to help us manage and protect this important resource.

The delicate balance we need to achieve through planning and regulating new development includes enabling sustainable marine sector growth to ensure a blue recovery, with growth benefiting our coastal communities and economy whilst contributing to the protection, recovery and enhancement of the resilience of our marine ecosystems. Wales's marine planning system ensures we sustainably manage our marine resources, respecting the environment and established uses of the sea, while seeking to secure lasting benefits from new, exciting opportunities. In line with our approach to marine planning as an enabling framework for sustainable development and in support of a blue recovery, we are taking forward a spatial approach to understanding opportunities and constraints for marine renewable energy. This approach can support those who wish to progress development and help provide the confidence to do so in terms of signalling the types of activity likely to be appropriate and where, ensuring the resilience of our marine ecosystems is protected and enhanced. We are working with NRW and our stakeholders to develop sector locational guidance for some of the newer, more innovative sectors operating in Welsh seas, with a particular focus on marine renewable energy. This guidance will identify where may best accommodate new development and activity alongside existing uses and without compromising the resilience of marine ecosystems.

We recognise the link between the marine environment and our health and well-being. The Welsh national marine plan clearly highlights the importance of maintaining and enhancing access to the marine area, ensuring people are able to get to and take part in the activities and services provided by the marine environment. The plan also recognises that maintaining the health and resilience of our marine environment and ecosystems, whilst vital for nature recovery, is also integral to our health and well-being. It is the framework that allows us to bring forward the blue recovery aspect of reconstructing Wales in light of the pandemic. Indeed, with the current work under way to complete our marine protected areas network in Wales, led by the Marine Conservation Society's own task and finish group, ecosystem resilience remains at the centre of our plans. The system in Wales ensures socioeconomic benefits to local communities are given an appropriate weight in decision making. Important considerations when assessing proposed developments include the benefits they can offer to society, the creation of marine jobs and the development of marine-related skills. We have an ambitious decarbonisation agenda for Wales, and I see marine renewables forming part of the energy mix and contributing towards the blue economy and a green recovery from COVID-19, helping us tackle the climate emergency.

There is huge potential for the marine and renewable sectors to grow responsibly in Wales, and I am encouraged by the growing interest in Welsh waters. I want to see projects coming forward that support coastal communities and are designed and built with biodiversity in mind, supporting our ecosystem resilience. My officials are working in partnership through a consenting strategic advisory group to deliver a suite of actions aimed at derisking and accelerating the responsible deployment of marine renewable energy.

A sustainable future for our Welsh fisheries is an important part of blue recovery. Last month, I issued a written statement on the next steps towards a future fisheries policy for Wales. That policy will be rooted in our core values of economic, environmental and social justice. We must develop a sustainable ecosystems-based policy that works with all other marine policies. Our fisheries are valuable natural resources, and I remain fully committed to introducing evidence-based, flexible management regimes for a range of Welsh fisheries.

In July, Sir David Henshaw, chair of NRW, was asked to lead a coalition of experts to deliver practical action on a green recovery. The group Sir David is chairing is part of the work across Welsh Government to invite people with a wide range of perspectives to help shape and challenge our plans for reconstruction. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted the work of organisations who are vital to the protection of nature in Wales. We must now rebuild and strengthen our ability to protect nature and increase the presence of nature in our communities for the benefit of our health and our economy. To do this, we will mobilise across Government and throughout communities in every part of Wales, and the group will be a powerful driver for such action. The group is focusing on delivering practical action on carbon emissions and climate risk, reversing the decline in biodiversity and connecting people and nature through investments in green infrastructure.

Our marine stakeholders are feeding directly into this process through our Wales marine action and advisory group. Peter Davies is the chair for the advisory group, which is made up of key coastal and marine stakeholders, partners and non-governmental organisations. Peter also sits on the green recovery taskforce and has been working collaboratively with advisory group members, who are committed to design and support the delivery of an integrated blue recovery stimulus package.

There is a significant opportunity now for coastal communities to lead on a blue recovery, and deliver meaningful improvements to well-being through an integrated approach that recognises the relationships between healthy coasts and seas and local economies. So, whilst I was listening to Joyce talk about the teal new deal, I was thinking that, despite the old saying that my aunt often used to say to me, 'Blue and green should never be seen, except in the washing machine,' I think they go very well together. Diolch.

Thank you very much, Minister, and that concludes today's proceedings.

The meeting ended at 18:18.